Lehrveranstaltungen

Current work

Three-Dimensional Waves in Thin Layers

My research objective is to study the emergence and evolution of three-dimensional (chemical) waves in thin layers. This will be done both experimentally and computationally, in order to gain insights on the behavior of these wave patterns in restricted geometries.

Experiment

Experimentally we have the opportunity to use open gel reactors and prepare thin gel layers for investigation of waves in the paradigmatic photo-sensitive Belousov-Zhabotinsy reaction (PBZR).
It is planned to initiate scroll waves and investigate their behavior under the constrained geometry of the thin gel layers. In particular the interaction of the wave patterns with the surrounding boundaries of the gel layers is important. Further points for experimental investigation are:

• Application of excitability gradient through illumination of the gel interface (Lambert-Beer-Relation).
• Investigation of scroll wave instabilities ( e.g. line tension).
• Application of forcing through illumination (periodic forcing, random forcing, ...).
• Turbulent behavior (Winfree turbulence).